US1447680A

US1447680A - Retort

Info

Publication number: US1447680A
Application number: US337572A
Authority: US
Inventors: Michie Arthur Cumming; Weeks Edmund George
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1919-11-12
Filing date: 1919-11-12
Publication date: 1923-03-06
Anticipated expiration: 1940-03-06

Description

Mar.6,1923. 1,447,680. r A. C- MICHIE ET AL. v

mom.

1 'YHLED NOV. 12.1319. 2 SHEETSSHEET 1. 1

Mar. 6, 1923.

RETORT.

' HLED NOV. 12, 1919.

A. C. MICHIE ET AL.

' 2- SHEETSSHEET 2.

Patented Mar. 6, 1923.

u TE s'rTES PATENT QF ARTHUR CUMMING MICHIE, OF NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, AND EDMUND GEORGE WEEKS, OF NORTHUMBERLAND, ENGLAND, ASSIGNORS TO CHARLES.HESTER- MAN MERZ AND WILLIAM MCL ELLAN, WESTMINSTER, LONDON, ENGLAND.

.BZETORT.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we ARTHUR CUMMING Mioriln and EDM ND (monen \Vnnns, subj ects of the King of England, and residents, respectively, of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England, and Northumberland, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Retorts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to retorts and the like, and has for its main object to provide a retort for lowtemperature distillation of fuel wherein the fuel may be introduced without creating dust at the surface. If the fuel is dropped from a hopper into the retort ontothe general upper surface of the fuel already in the retort, and is ofsuch a character as to produce or contain dust, this dust is carried through to the condensers and by-product plant, which renders the recovery of the byproducts diflicult owing to the admixture therewith of the fine dust, and also difficulty in operation arises owing to the blocking of pipes and passages in the condensing and by-product plant.

According to the present invention, the retort is provided with one or more feeding conduits which enter the sides of the retort and deliver their fuel at a level which is below that intended to be occupied by the surface of the fuel contained in the retort.-

Preferably the feed-conduit or conduits project into the retort in the form of one or more open troughs which extend from one side towards the other in an approximately horizontal plane, and convenient means, such as rotating worms or oscillating plungers, are provided for propelling the fuel along the troughs.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate by way of example practical-embodiments of this invention,

Figure 1 is a sectionthrough a preheater and upper portion of a retort with a worm feed,

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a sectional elevation similar to Figure 1 but showing a modified arrangement, and

Figure 4: is a sectional elevation on the line 4-4: of Figure 3.

Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, a coal Application filed Novem ber 12 1919. Serial No. 337,572.

hopper A discharges onto a perforated travelling conveyor B in a preheating chamber C, having a hot-gas inlet D and a hotgas outlet E, and the preheated coal 'is discharged through a hopper F into two troughs, whichenter the retort H at one side and extend across towards the other side, parallel to one another and in an approxiinately horizontal plane. Each trough G contains a worm J connected with driving mechanism (shown diagrammatically by its casing K), for feedingthe fuel along the trough. The outer portion of the troughs llnay be covered in, as shown, to constitute a closed conduit, but that part which lies within the retort is open at the top, for all or ,part of its length, so that the fuel can rise out of the trough andflow over the sides.

In operation, the fuel is fed sufliciently rapidly into the retort so that it piles up in the troughs and flows over the sides around the same,so that the troughs remain buried below the surface of the fuel, which fuel will usually be highest above the centre-line of each trough, and will slope away down to a lowest point between the two troughs, and between the troughs and those walls of the retort which face the sides of the troughs.

In the arrangement shown in Figures 3 and 4:, the parts down to letter H are substantially the same, but in this modification only one trough G is shown, and instead of using a worm, the feeding of the coal along the trough G is effected by a plunger L reciprocated by suitable gearing, such as the eccentric M. It will be seen that the plunger L in its rear position allows fresh fuel (preheated in the example illustrated) to fall in front of it, and on its forward stroke the plunger pushes that fuel along the trough G. The plunger may reciprocate, say, 25 times per minute. The operation is similar to that already described.

With feed-apparatus of this kind there is little disturbance of the surface of the fuel, as the fuel is continuously slowly rising out of the troughs and flowing over the sides, the movement being such as not to release any large quantity of dust, and thus this is prevented from being carried over to the condensers and by-product plant. The methods of feeding described have the additional advantage of giving a substantially continuous feed of fuel into the retort, and

tent methods of feeding.

side of the retort and has its discharge out-' let upwardly directed and within the retort at a distance from the side walls, and means for feeding fuel through said conduit and discharging it below the level of the surface of the fuel in the retort, thereby preventing dust from being formed and carried over with the distillation products.

V 2. Apparatus for feeding fuel to a distillation retort wherein the fuel is introduced near the top and discharged from the bottom, said apparatus comprising a feeding conduit which enters through the side of the retort and has'its discharge outlet upwardly directed and at a distance from the side walls of the retort, and means for feeding fuel through said conduit and discharging it uniformly below the surface of the fuel in the retort, thereby preventing the formation of dust and consequent contamination of the distillation products. i

3. Apparatus. for feeding fuel to a dis tillation retort wherein the fuel is introduced near the top and discharged from the bottom, said apparatus comprising a feeding conduit which enters through the side of the retort and has an upper open side at a distance from the walls of the retort, and means for continuously feeding fuel through said conduit and discharging it through said open side uniformly and beneath the surface of the fuel in the retort, thereby preventing the formation of dust and consequent contamination of the distillation products.

4. Apparatus for feeding fuel to a distillation retort wherein the fuel is introduced near the top and discharged from the bottom, said apparatus comprising a feeding conduit which enters through the side of the retort and has an upper open side at a dis tance from the walls of the retort, and a ro tating worm for continuously feeding'fuel through said conduit and discharging it through said open side uniformly and beneath the surface of the fuel in the retort thereby preventing the formation of dust and consequent contaminationof the distillation products.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

. ARTHUR CUMMING MIIGHIE.

. EDMUND GEORGE WEEKS.

WVitnesses: i

EVELYN H. UR UHART,

E. FENWICK;